The Swiss hotel that’s just a bed on a mountain

Artists Frank and Patrik Riklin pioneered the zero-star concept by offering guests the chance to stay in a nuclear bunker. Now they’re taking their vision to new heights

It looks like a publicity stunt for a hotel chain. Stick a bed on a Swiss mountain, get the attention of the world’s media and – boom – viral marketing. A couple of days later, bung the first ad on TV and let Lenny Henry take over. “You can really breathe in a Premier Inn,” he’ll say in his purple pyjamas. Cut to the bed and a lone, bemused cow.

But that’s not it. The Alpine “room” is the idea of twin concept artists Frank and Patrik Riklin, who make a habit of parodying – and annoying – the luxury hotel industry. “We are making a statement of the antithesis of the megalomania of this time,” says Patrik, who occasionally reaches for Google translate while speaking from his home outside Zurich.